BOWNESS, ALBERTA

'Bowness' is a community district in west Calgary. It was an autonomous town until 1964, when it was annexed by Calgary.
The neighbourhood is bordered by the Bow River on the north and east, 16th Avenue on the south, and Stoney Trail on the west. Immediately over the river to the east lies the community of Montgomery, itself an autonomous town until Calgary annexed it in 1963.
On the northwest end of the community is one of Calgary's most popular parks, Bowness Park. The park sits between the Bow River and a lagoon, and is popular for picnics, summer sports, ice skating in the winter, and boating. It is also part of the city's large pedestrian pathway network. To the south-east, it is bordered by Edworthy Park.
Bowness is represented in the Calgary City Council by Ward 1 Alderman Dale Hodges. Residents of the area are called "Bownesians" (''Bow-NEE-zhins''). This designation is a local term and is often used for comedic effect.
The community has an area redevelopment plan in place.

Contents

History

Bowness today

Demographics

Education

See also

References

External links

History

The area was first occupied as a ranch in about 1896^[1].
John Hextall was responsible for the plans that led to the development of the village, which later grew to a town. Hextall planned to develop the area into an exclusive bedroom community. In 1911, Hextall donated some of his land to the city, receiving in return street-car acces to Bowness.^[2]
It was annexed to the City of Calgary in 1963.

Bowness today

Since Bowness was annexed, it has had to cope with a number of social issues. Because it began as an autonomous community, Bowness lacks much of the homogeneity of many of Calgary's newest suburban neighbourhoods. As a result, Bowness is a far more dynamic and interesting community than most of those on Calgary's outskirts. Unfortunately, this has also contributed to socioeconomic problems in the community (including crime^[3]), which is home to both wealthy and disadvantaged residents. A marked difference can be seen between the well-off homes along the Bow River, for example, and the former military housing just a few blocks away.

Demographics

In 2006 the neighbourhood had a population of 11,038. Residents in this community had a median household income of $40,468 in 2000, and there were 24.1% low income residents living in the neighborhood. As of 2000, 12.7% of the residents were immigrants. A proportion of 30.9% of the buildings were condominiums or apartments, and 45.6% of the housing was used for renting.

Education

Most public senior high school students from the community attend Bowness High School, which was built before the annexation. Junior high and elementary schools include Thomas B. Riley Junior High, Belevedere Parkway Elementary, Bowcroft Elementary, and R. B. Bennett Elementary (closed in 2004). There is also one K-9 Catholic school, Our Lady of the Assumption.

See also

★ List of neighbourhoods in Calgary

References

1. Bowness Historical Society
2.
3. Calgary Police - Crime Statistics by community

External links

★ Bowness Community Association Info Site